HIDDEN FACTS ABOUT SNAILS I Written by: Ojo Oluwatosin.

Snails are gastropod mollusks,members of the phylum mollusca and the class Gastropoda.They are invertebrates animals.Snails do not change shells when they grow up, instead the shell grows along with them.When they are threatened, they usually retreat into their shell to protect themselves. Furthermore, they have tentacles on their head and eyes which are used for sensitivity. They have muscular foot adapted for crawling. The predators of terrestrial snails are beetles ,rats, mice,turtles, salamanders. Snails host several types of parasites that, while may not kill them they are capable of affecting or killing their predators. Animals that eat the snails even humans who eat poorly cooked snail can become seriously ill.

     Calcium carbonate is the main component the snail shells. Some snails hibernate. Some species of snail hibernate during the colder months of the year. They cover their bodies with a thin layer of mucus which prevent them from drying out. They do a similar process in summer called estivation. Snails leave behind a teal of mucus when moving. The mucus acts as lubricant to reduce friction against the surface where they pass.
     Snails are hermaphrodites. They have female and male reproductive organs. They usually do not create offspring on their own.They mate with another snail and then both lay eggs.
     In addition, they can see but can't hear. Most land snails have two set of tentacles, the upper one carry the eyes while the lower one has the olfactory organs. However they don't have ears or ear canal
     Snails are nocturnal animals. They don't like sunlight, which is why you find them out more on cloudy days.
 In conclusions, snails will die if you put salt on them because their body can't process it.

About Writer:
Her name is Ojo Oluwatosin Odunayo. She's a student of Lagos State University. She resides in Ile-ife, Osun state, Nigeria.